Coin-controlled apparatus.



11. SGHORSKE.

I COIN CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1911. 1,024,748. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

amomatoz Q/Vibweoow I A awe-fa v H. SGHORSKE.

COIN CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00 T.31,1911.

1,024,748. I Y Patented Apr.30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. anvewl o'a wi/tmwoo I HENRY SCHORSKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SOHORSKE, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Oontrolled Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in coin controlled vending or dispensing apparatus, and relates particularly to a device of this character designed for use in selling salted peanuts or the like, although it is to be understood that it is not limited to this use, but is applicable for use in selling other commodities or articles of merchandise.

The invention has for its primary object a simple and eflicient construction of coin controlled apparatus the parts of which are so arranged that the ejecting mechanism will be effectively and positively locked against actuation thereof, unless a coin is inserted in the coin-way provided for that purpose, the coin then serving as a cam surface upon which the latch of the locking mechanism will ride to free itself from its co-acting member, so as to permit said member to rotate and carry the ejecting pocket around to the discharge opening, whence the articles to be sold will be discharged through a dispensing chute, while at the same time the coin will drop out of the coin way into some suitable receptacle provided for it.

The invention also has for its object an improved construction of device of this character provided with means whereby, after the latch has been released by the introduction of a coin and the actuating handle turned to start the operation of ejecting the peanuts or the like, said ejecting mechanism will be prevented from returning to its normal inoperative position until it has been fully turned toward operative position to discharge the contents of the ejecting pocket, thereby insuring that the purchaser shall receive the full predetermined portion of the peanuts or the like intended for him, this portion of the apparatus being so arranged that after the revoluble ejecting member has been turned to its proper limit, it will then automatically return to normal inoperative position to receive another quantity of the goods to be sold as soon as the operator releases his hold upon the actuating handle.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 31, 1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912. Serial No. 657,884.

And the invention also aims to simplify and otherwise generally improve and render more durable this class of devices so as to make them commercially more desirable, it

being well known that as these devices are ordinarily constructed they are continually getting out of order and thereby becoming a sort of annoyance not only to intending purchasers, but to storekeepers and others handling the vending machines for profit.

With these and other objects in View, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved coin controlled device, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parts shown drawn out from each other and in juxtaposition; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the face plate and coin disk looking at the inner face thereof, and Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view through the dispensing member.

Corresponding and like parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views.

My improved coin controlled vending machine includes a face plate 1 which may be secured in any desired way to a dispensing box or magazine of any desired construction, type or design, said face plate in the present instance being formed on its rear side with two laterally spaced upper posts 2 and two correspondingly positioned lower posts 3 internally screw-threaded to receive screws 4 that pass through ears 5 formed on one end of a substantially cylin drical casing 6 formed at its top with a receiving opening 7 and at its bottom wit-h a discharge opening 8.

The upper posts 2 of the face plate 1 are jointed together by a segmental web 9, said web extending some distance beyond one of said posts, as indicated at 9 That portion of the web which extends from one of these top posts to the other, is formed with a coin receiving slot 10 designed to normally register with the upper end of a coin-way 11 formed in a revoluble disk 12. This disk is guided in its revoluble movement by the web 9 and by a corresponding web 13 joining one lower post 3 to the other lower post, as clearly illustrated in the drawings, and is formed on its periphery with oppositely facing spaced shoulders 14:, designed to engage with the stop lug 15 formed on the inner side of the face plate 1, so as to limit the turning movement of the disk in either direction. The disk 12 is formed with a central boss or hub 16, through which the actuating shaft 17 extends, said shaft being journaled in the face plate and casing, and projecting forwardly from the face plate 1, and provided with an actuating knob or handle 18, and formed intermediate of its ends with a stop collar 19. A set screw 20 works in the hub 16 of the disk 12 and into a transverse opening formed for it in the shaft 17, whereby to securely connect the disk and shaft, and the inner end of the hub is formed with a transverse recess 21 engaged by lugs 22 on the dispens in g member 23, the latter being formed with a pocket 24; adapted to normally register with the opening 7 of the casing 6 and to be turned around in said casing so as to subsequently register with the discharge opening 8, whereby to discharge its contents. By providing the hub 16 of the disk 12 with the recess 21 and forming the dispensing member 23 with the lugs 22 fitting in said recess, it is clear that the dispensing member will be compelled to turn with the actuating shaft. The parts are normally held with the pocket 21 in registry with the feed opening 7 of the casing 6 by means of a spring 25, which is coiled around the hub 16 of the disk, having one end secured to the set screw 20 and having its other end hooked into a notch 26 that is formed in one side edge of the upper web 9.

The coin way 11 has undercut walls 27 forming a channel which tapers downwardly in both width and depth until, at its lower end, it is substantially of a depth equal to the thickness of the coin intended to work the device, and of a width substantially equal to the diameter of said coin, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these proportions of the parts. \Vithin this channel, the disk 12 is formed with a longitudinal slot 28 of less width than the diameter of the coin intended to be received in the coin way. Extending downwardly from the bottom of the coin way, the disk is formed with a preferably undulating cam surface 29 upon whichacontrolling pin 30 is adapted to ride. This pin is secured to a latch arm 31 intermediate of the ends of the latter, said latch arm being forked at its lower end, as at 32, and mount ed to rock upon a pintle 33 journaled in one of the lower posts 3 and a correspondweaves ing intermediate post 3. A spring 34; is coiled around the pintle 33, one end of said spring bearing upon the base of the latch arm and the other end of the spring bearing against the opposite side of the lower web 13, the spring thereby having a tendency to press the latch arm toward the disk 12. In addition to the controlling pin 30, the latch arm 31 carries at its upper free end a locking pin 35 that is designed, when the handle 18 is given an initial turn without the introduction of a coin into the coinway to move inwardly into the slot 28 and stop the further movement of the disk in a direction to discharge the peanuts or the like, the controlling pin 30 riding upon the inwardly curved portion of the cam surface 29, thereby permitting this inward movement of the latch arm to loot the disk 12 against unauthorized actuation, 1n the normal positions of the parts, the controlling pin 30 rests upon a high portion of the cam surface 20 contiguous to the lower end of the coin way, thereby holding the inner end of the locking pin 35 out from the slot 28, so that a coin may be inserted into the coin way and lodge in the bottom thereof behind the free end of the locking pin, whereupon the turning of the handle 18 and the consequent revoluble movement of the disk 12 will cause the coin to act as acam upon which the locking pin will ride, finally riding upon the cam surface 29 out of the coin way and permitting a full turning movement to be given the dispensing member, so as to discharge the contents of the pocket 24 through the opening 8 of the casing 6 and at the same time drop the coin out of the mouth of the coin way in the space formed for its discharge between the free edge of the web extension 9 and the adjoining lower post 3.

In order to prevent a return movement of the parts until the dispensing pocket 24 has fully emptied its contents out through the discharge opening 8, I have provided a detent 36 which is mounted to freely swing, intermediate of its ends, on a stud 37, secured to an upright bar 38 carried by the inner end of the casing 6, a contractile spring 39 being secured to the upper end of said detent and to a screw 40, or the like, secured to the upper end of said bar. This pawl is designed to ride over a toothed segment 41 formed on the rear side of the dispensing member 23 at the periphery thereof, said pawl engaging one tooth after the other and thereby preventing any return movement of the parts until the segment has fully passed the ends of the detent, whereupon return movement of the pawl will be permitted, as the teeth will merely snap back past the detent in the retracting or return movement of the parts. By this construction, it is clear that a purchaser will be assured of obtaining the full predetermined amount of the articles vended by the machine, so long as the supply thereof lasts.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation of my improved coin controlled dispensing apparatus will be apparent, as the detail operation of the parts has been described in connection with the description of the construction and arrangement thereof. For the sake of clearness, it is only necessary to add that the parts are normally held with the pocket 24 in registry with the feed opening 7 leading into the casing 6, the coin way registering with the coin slot 10 and the latch being held in a relatively retracted position by the engagement of the controlling pin 30 with a high portion of the cam surface 29. lVhen the coin is introduced through the slot 10 into the coin way 11, it will come to rest at the bottom of the coin way behind the locking pin 35 and consequently when the handle 18 is then turned, the coin will force the latch out until the pin 35 rides upon the surface 29, the continued movement of the disk 2 and dispensing pocket 24 being continued and all return movement prevented until the pocket 24 has been moved into registry with the discharge opening 8 and the contents of the pocket received by the purchaser, whereupon, as soon as the purchasers hold upon the handle 18 is released, the spring 25 will be permitted to act and the parts brought back to their normal inoperative positions. Should an attempt be made to turn the handle 18 before introducing a coin into the coin way 11, it will merely result in the controlling pin 30 moving upon a lower portion of the cam surface 29, permitting the latch arm 31 to move inwardly so as to cause the locking pin 35 to engage with the lower end of the slot 28, thereby preventing further movement of the parts in the direction to discharge the contents of the pocket 24. It is, of course, to be understood that the pin 35 will engage the disk 12 to prevent unauthorized actuation of the device before the detent 36 operatively engages any of the teeth 41.

While the accompanying drawings disclose what I believe to be preferred em bodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invent-ion is not limited thereto, but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. An apparatus of the character described, including a revoluble member provided with a coin way formed with a longitudinal slot, said member being provided with a cam surface terminating at the bot tom of the coin way, a latch arm automatically movable toward said member and provided with two pins, one of which is adapted to ride on said cam surface to normally hold the other pin in spaced relation to said slot, and permitting said last-named pin to enter the slot upon an initial movement of the revoluble member without a coin inserted therein, the coin way being so shaped that upon the introduction of a coin it will pass behind said last-named pin and cause it to rotate thereover out of the coin way upon the movement of the revoluble member with the coin in it.

2. An apparatus of the character described, including a revoluble member formed with a coin way, a latch arm springpressed toward that face of the revoluble member in which the coin Way is formed, said latch arm being provided with means for normally holding its locking portion in inoperative relation to the revoluble member, means being provided for moving said latch arm in a direction to elfect its locking engagement with the revoluble member upon the initial movement of the latter without a coin inserted therein, the coin way being so formed that upon the introduction of a coin therein, it will occupy a position back of the locking portion of the latch arm, so as to cause the same to ride thereon out of engagement with the locking portion of the revoluble member, for the purpose specified.

3. An apparatus of the character described, including a revoluble member provided with a coin way in its rear face and with an undulating cam surface extending from the bottom of the coin way, means for turning the revoluble member, a latch arm spring-pressed toward the coin way and carrying pins positioned in spaced relation to each other, the coin way being formed in its bottom wall with a longitudinal slot, one of said pins engaging a high portion of the cam surface in the normal inoperative position of the revoluble member, whereby to hold the other pin out of the slot, for the purpose specified, and riding upon the undulating cam surface of the revolving member upon the initial movement of the latter 5 so as to permit the said other pin to enter the slot and lock the revoluble member against further movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SCHORSKE. [L.S.] Witnesses:

SARAH L. CLEAVER, LOUISE D. HOPPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

